My Alpha
The ambulance traveled with remarkable stability, as if navigating a void. Only the occasional passing of the skyline, gradually tinged with the dim morning light, hinted at the passage of space. Inside the vehicle, the scent of disinfectant mingled with the rhythmic ticking of the instruments, creating a strange tranquility, somewhere between life and death.
Si Qi half-knelt beside the operating table, motionless, like a guardian statue. His eyes never left Shao Wei's face, his fingertips carefully tracing the slightly cool back of his hand over and over again, trying to use his body temperature to dispel the frightening coldness.
Shao Wei remained unconscious, his face pale as fresh snow, his breathing weak but steady, relying on medical assistance. The wound on the back of his neck had been carefully rebandaged, and the bleeding had stopped, but the severe damage to his glands was clearly not something a single operation could completely repair. Dr. Chen's earlier words echoed in his mind like a warning bell: permanent damage.
The word made Si Qi's heart tighten. But his gaze grew more resolute. What if there were damage? What if Shao Wei could no longer use pheromones? From now on, everything he was, Si Qi, would be Shao Wei's shield, Shao Wei's sword. He would become his gland, his strength, his everything.
"We are free, Shao Wei," he whispered again, as if to brand this unbelievable message into their bones and blood through their touching skin. "No more 'Watchers', no more experiments, no more surveillance... just us."
From now on, the sky is high and the sea is vast, and there are only them.
The medical vehicle finally arrived at a secret sanatorium nestled deep in the mountains, nestled beside a lake. Its tranquil surroundings and state-of-the-art yet discreet facilities clearly marked it as one of the safe houses the "Scavengers" had prepared long ago. Shao Wei was quickly transferred to a sterile intensive care unit for continued observation and treatment.
Si Qi stayed by his side, guarding him every step of the way. He tended to the wound on his arm from a stray bullet and changed into clean clothes, but he refused to leave the ICU. He sat just outside the glass window, with a clear view of Shao Wei's position inside, like a tired but unyielding guardian beast.
Dr. Chen and the injured Silver Fox were also properly housed and treated. Meanwhile, Zero sent a briefing on the subsequent handling of Gao Lan and his followers. The tone was bland and businesslike, as if they were just dealing with a pile of garbage. Si Qi glanced at them briefly and then stopped caring. He didn't care what happened to those people. His entire world had shrunk to the confines of that bed in the ICU.
Time passes slowly in the anxious waiting.
By dusk the next day, Shao Wei's vital signs had completely stabilized, and he had transitioned from a deep coma to a light sleep. The attending physician finally allowed Si Qi to visit him for a short period of time under sterile conditions.
Si Qi almost held his breath, put on sterile clothing, and walked to the bedside as lightly as possible.
Shao Wei slept peacefully, his long, thick eyelashes casting a faint shadow under his eyes. His breathing was shallow, and compared to his previous pallor, his face seemed to have a very faint color. Various monitoring electrodes were attached to his thin chest and arms, making him look heartbreakingly fragile.
Si Qi cautiously reached out his hand, his fingertips trembling as he lightly touched the back of his hand, which was placed at his side. The slightly cool touch made his eyes warm.
As if feeling his touch, Shao Wei's eyelashes trembled slightly, and he opened his eyes very slowly.
At first, his icy blue eyes were a bit hazy and distracted, as if covered by a thin layer of mist, staring unfocused at the ceiling. After a few seconds, the mist slowly dissipated, and his gaze gradually focused. With some difficulty, he slowly turned to Si Qi beside the bed.
Their eyes met.
Si Qi's heart instantly rose to his throat, and he was so nervous that he almost forgot to breathe. He was afraid of seeing fear, afraid of seeing strangeness, afraid of seeing the alienation caused by pain.
However, Shao Wei's gaze lingered on his face for a moment. A faint trace of confusion flashed across those icy blue eyes, and then, as if recognizing him, they slowly, ever so faintly, with a sense of relief...closed for a moment. When they opened again, the pain, struggle, and despair from before were gone. Only the extreme exhaustion of someone recovering from a serious illness and...an indescribable calm remained.
Just like the sky washed clean after a storm.
His lips moved very slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but due to weakness and possible discomfort after intubation, no sound came out.
But Siqi understood the lip movements.
He was calling - "Brother".
In an instant, Si Qi felt a huge, sour, and scorching heat rushing up his nose and eyes, blurring his vision instantly! He hurriedly lowered his head, blinking back the untimely tears. When he raised his head again, the corners of his mouth tried to raise up in a twisted but extremely gentle arc.
"Yeah," his voice was very hoarse and nasal, and he carefully wrapped Shao Wei's slightly cold hand in his warm palm, "I'm here. Always here."
He kept mumbling, in a very soft voice, some meaningless words of comfort: "It's okay... It's all over... We are safe... It's very quiet here, and you can see the lake outside the window... When you get better, we can go for a walk by the lake... Or we can just stay in the house..."
Shao Wei listened quietly, his gaze fixed on him. Si Qi's somewhat disheveled face, yet one filled with worry and love, was reflected in his icy blue eyes. Extremely slowly, with a backhand so weak it was practically nonexistent, he squeezed Si Qi's fingers back.
This extremely subtle action made Siqi's heart feel as if it was instantly wrapped in warm spring water, and all his uneasiness and anxiety were soothed.
His brother was back. Really back.
In the days that followed, Shao Wei's recovery was slow but steady. He was awake for longer and longer periods of time, able to eat some liquid food, and even able to sit up very slowly with Si Qi's support.
Si Qi took care of almost everything for him: feeding, wiping his body, massaging his limbs, chatting with him to keep him company, and even imitating a nurse, clumsily but meticulously changing the dressing on his neck. His movements were so gentle, as if he were handling a rare treasure, and the focus and tenderness in his eyes were almost overwhelming.
Shao Wei was quiet most of the time, perhaps because he was still weak, or perhaps because of his personality. He would often just watch Si Qi busying himself for him, his icy blue eyes calm, occasionally frowning slightly because of the pain from his wound, but never whining.
But once, when Si Qi was wiping his arm, he accidentally rolled up his sleeve, revealing an old, light pink scar on the inside of his forearm. Si Qi's fingers paused. He remembered this scar: it was from when Shao Wei pushed him away when a test instrument went out of control as a child.
His fingertips unconsciously stroked the scar, and his heart felt like it was pricked by a fine needle, causing a sharp pain.
Shao Wei, who had been silent the entire time, suddenly spoke softly, "...it doesn't hurt anymore."
Si Qi raised his head suddenly and met Shao Wei's calm gaze. That look seemed to say, what's past is past.
Si Qi's throat felt like it was clogged, aching and bitter. He lowered his head and gently kissed the old scar, his voice choking with sobs: "...It hurts."
I'm hurt because I didn't protect you back then. I'm hurt because of everything you've endured all these years.
Shao Wei's body trembled slightly, almost imperceptibly, and a fleeting emotion seemed to flash across his icy blue eyes, too fast to grasp. He was silent for a moment, then slowly raised his other hand, the one not receiving the IV, and, somewhat feebly, gently placed it on Si Qi's bowed head, ruffling his hair lightly.
Like a silent comfort and forgiveness.
Si Qi's body suddenly stiffened, and then he lowered his head even harder, his shoulders trembling slightly, hiding the burning wetness.
At that moment, all words seemed superfluous.
A few days later, Shao Wei's spirits improved considerably, and he could now sit for long periods leaning against a pillow. The sun shone brightly outside, and Si Qi, fearing he might get bored, found some books to read to him. He chose a volume on Norse mythology, and in a low, soothing voice, he recited stories about the world tree, the gods, and the giants.
When he read about the goddess of fate, Urd, weaving the web of destiny, Siqi paused, looked out the window at the sun-drenched lake, and said softly, "From now on, we will weave our own web of destiny."
Shao Wei followed his gaze out the window. The lake shimmered with tiny golden glints in the sunlight. He stared silently for a long moment, then replied softly, almost sighing, "Hmm."
The voice was still a little hoarse and weak, but clear and unmistakable.
Si Qi's heart seemed to be caressed by the spring breeze, and it became soft and messy.
That afternoon, Dr. Chen came to perform a detailed glandular examination on Shao Wei. The results were slightly better than expected; his core functions had indeed been preserved, and he was not in danger of death. However, his pheromone levels would be permanently below the normal Alpha standard, and he would be almost unable to withstand any form of violent fluctuations or deep manipulation.
"This means," Dr. Chen said, trying to be as tactful as possible, "that he may not experience a noticeable period of susceptibility again. While his combat effectiveness will be significantly reduced, his daily emotional and physical regulation won't be significantly affected. From another perspective, this can be considered a blessing in disguise, freeing him from some of the troubles of his Alpha instincts."
Si Qi listened carefully, then looked at Shao Wei and held his hand tightly: "It's okay. This is good." He didn't need Shao Wei to be powerful, he just wanted him to be safe and happy.
Shao Wei's expression was calm, as if he had anticipated this outcome long ago, perhaps even... a hint of relief? He seemed to have never been as obsessed with Alpha identity and power as he had been before.
After the examination, Shao Wei fell asleep, feeling somewhat exhausted. Si Qi tucked in the quilt for him and walked out to the living room.
Dr. Chen was arranging his equipment. After a moment's hesitation, he spoke up, "Siqi, regarding the option provided by the 'Scavenger'..."
A brand new identity and complete freedom means that they have to abandon everything in the past - name, identity, social relations, wealth and status... and become a real, "non-existent" person.
Si Qi said without hesitation: "We accept."
Wealth and status? Those things were worthless compared to the pain Shao Wei had endured over the past three years. As long as he could stay with Shao Wei in peace, even if he lived in anonymity and simple meals, it would be heaven.
"I knew you would choose this." Dr. Chen sighed and handed him a briefcase. "Here's what they've prepared. A new ID, a passport, some start-up capital, and the address of an overseas safe house. The routes are all arranged. Once Committee Member Shao's condition stabilizes, we can leave at any time."
Si Qi took the document bag, feeling it was light and yet incredibly heavy. These few thin sheets of paper held the weight of their entire future lives.
He walked to the window and looked out at the tranquil lake and distant mountains. The setting sun was painting the sky a brilliant warm orange.
Everything in the past, the marriage between the Si and Shao families, the power of the Si Group, the prosperity and coldness of Kyoto, all those calculations, indifference, hurt and pain... are about to become a completely buried past.
His crematorium finally burned away all his past, leaving only a handful of clean ashes, waiting to be reborn with another person.
There were very light footsteps behind me.
Si Qi turned around.
Shao Wei had woken up at some point and was slowly walking to the living room door, wearing a loose hospital gown that made him look even thinner. He leaned against the doorframe, his icy blue eyes quietly watching him, looking at the file bag in his hand, and then at the brilliant sunset outside the window.
Si Qi walked over quickly, supported him, handed the file bag to him, and said gently: "Look, this is a new beginning."
Shao Wei did not look at the file bag. His eyes were still looking out the window, looking at the setting sun that was about to sink into the mountains. The golden afterglow fell on his pale face, as if it also injected some warmth into him.
After a long time, he slowly turned his head and looked at Si Qi. His ice-blue eyes appeared particularly clear and transparent in the sunset, and Si Qi's figure was clearly reflected in them.
He nodded very slowly but firmly.
The setting sun completely sank, leaving only a magnificent sunset glow on the horizon.
Night is coming, but this time, Si Qi knows that dawn will eventually come again.
And they will walk hand in hand towards the dawn of freedom that truly belongs to them.
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